Final Fantasy 8: The Rise of Hyne
by kikikimamama
Summary: It's been 5 years since the defeat Ultimecia. Peace has reigned all over. But a new force threatens the existence of all humanity. Or does it...? All the usual pairings are here.


Final Fantasy VIII-2

By

Kikikimamama

** Author's note: **_This is my first FFVIII story. While I am a rabid fan of the game, I never worked up the nerve until now to write a fan fiction for it. Hopefully this will be a good first attempt, as the story itself is rather epic in scale and will encompass several chapters. Also, it has been awhile since I wrote fanfiction, so forgive me if this isn't quite up to scratch. I have to get back in the groove._

_In any case, I hope you enjoy my take on what happens after the end of the game._

_Enjoy!_

_***_

Rinoa's eyes snapped open as she awoke from the nightmare. She sat up in bed searched the surroundings frantically. She was in the bedroom she and her husband shared, in the dorm that belonged to him on Garden campus. She glanced at the clock with tired eyes. It was 2:30 in the morning and the room was pitch black, save for the occasional lightning strike from the storm outside.

Rinoa sighed and put her head in her hands. She was safe. Her nightmare wasn't real. She looked over at her husband, who was sleeping peacefully. Even in the low light, Rinoa could make out the lines and curves of his handsome face. This managed to not only put her at peace, but also got her slightly aroused. Such was the affect Squall had on her.

It had been 5 years since they destroyed Ultimecia. In that time, so much had happened. Galbadia became a democracy. Trabia Garden had been rebuilt. Esthar reopened communication with the rest of the world. And the whole Garden institution moved from being a training ground for mercenaries to becoming a normal military academy. SeeD no longer was the only option for Garden students. It was a choice. And to top it off, SeeD was only ever hired for small jobs such as bodyguards and escorts for VIPs.

But the biggest changes had happened with Rinoa and her friends. Selphie and Irvine began dating and were close to getting married. Zell and Quistis also started dating, though they were still in the early stages of love. Seifer came back to Garden along with Raijin and Fujin and had become a model student, preparing for his next SeeD exam. He even began dating a girl he had met in one of his classes. It was getting serious too.

This brought a smile to Rinoa's face. To think that Seifer Almasy, the resident bad boy of Balamb Garden, was being a good guy was difficult believe. Especially after everything he did. But everyone deserved a chance for redemption, and Seifer used the second chance he'd been given. Rinoa glanced over at Squall again. He tossed a little in his place and mumbled her name, making her smile even more.

That was the most significant change. When her and Squall started dating shortly after the war, she wasn't sure if it would work. After all, she was a sorceress. But Squall wouldn't even entertain the notion of being anything but her boyfriend. Despite her protests, Squall would introduce her as his girlfriend. He'd kiss her in public, not bothering to hide it. After awhile, she gave up and just went with it.

After a year of dating, Squall asked her to marry him. Rinoa had been dumbstruck. As much as she loved him, she didn't want to hurt him because of what she was. She had almost said no, but then she realized that Squall would never leave her side and that he'd always love her. So she accepted, with tears in her eyes, and they wed 6 months later. She knew in her core that she would always love him. Nothing would ever change her mind.

Four years later, she still felt that way. She grabbed her wedding ring off the nightstand next to her bed and looked at it in the low light, gently rolling it in her fingers.

The design was simple, yet elegant. It was a gold band with an etching of Greiver, Squalls personal crest, on the side. On the inside of the band, her new name was engraved with a small inscription:

Knight and Sorceress

Together Forever

Rinoa Leonhart

"Mrs. Rinoa Leonhart." She said gently. She loved how it sounded, how it rolled off her lips so easily, even after 4 years together.

A lightning bolt struck right outside the Garden, lighting up the sky and sending out a sonic boom that rattled the windows. It also caused Rinoa to let out a shriek that, in turn, woke up her highly protective knight and husband.

"What's wrong, Rinoa?!" Are you okay?!" He shot up and immediately pulled her close, trying to protect her from whatever was trying to harm her.

"I'm fine, honey. It's just lightning. It scared me, that's all."

Squall let out a sigh of relief. For a minute, he thought someone had managed to sneak in.

"Thank Hyne! I was ready to kill someone." He glanced over at her realized something.

"You were already awake, weren't you?" She nodded.

"Another nightmare?" Another nod.

"This time, I dreamt someone had tried to kill our baby."

"Hmmm. Kind of hard to do considering we don't have any kids."

"I know, but it was so real. I felt so helpless." She buried her head in her hands again.

"Well, don't worry about it." He pulled her close and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "When we have kids, you'll be more than capable of protecting them."

"Huh. And if I can't, then you most certainly can."

"Exactly. So no worries."

"That's assuming, of course, we **CAN **have children." Squall raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"What makes you think we can have any?"

"What makes you think we can't?

"Well…" Rinoa hesitated, unsure of how to say it.

"Go on." Squall urged.

"Well, I did some research. Throughout history, there's never been a recorded instance of a sorceress having children."

"Yeah, throughout recorded history. There may have been sorceresses that had children that no one knew about."

Rinoa thought about this for a moment. She hadn't considered that possibility. For all she knew, that might be the case.

"I suppose it's possible."

"See? Now does that help?"

"Help what?"

"To make you feel better?"

"Hmm… a little. But I know something else that'll help me a whole lot more." Her tone was seductive, sending a clear message to Squall that even he would be an idiot to miss.

"Well, by all means, let's make you feel better!"

They embraced under the covers and began making love. When they finished, they spent the rest of the night in each other's embrace, never moving a muscle.

***

Halfway across the globe, in the barren lands of Centra, two lone figures huddled around a campfire. Both wore long, black hooded cloaks that were pulled up, obscuring their faces. They were sitting in the warmth until one of them looked toward the north where a storm was beginning to form. The other figure took notice of this.

"What is it, Master?" His voice was young, yet weary.

The first man stood up and stared at the storm.

"It begins."


End file.
